Baked Turkey Like No One Else In The World!

Baked Turkey like no one else in the world?

First make sure the bird is totally thawed. If it is still frozen on the inside run warm water over it until it is completely thawed and at room temperature. Even if the bird is at room temperature pull out all the packages of organs and set aside for dirty rice or giblet gravy or whatever. Rinse the bird inside and out. Drain it and take paper towels and dry it the best you can. Pull out at least a full 2 yards of heavy-duty aluminum foil and triple layer the foil to make a large "boat". Put the bird in the boat and dust the entire body inside and out with onion powder first, then granulated or powdered garlic, paprika, black pepper, Lawry’s seasoned salt. You could substitute sea salt or kosher salt but do not over salt as the soy is high in sodium. Drizzle with honey inside and out, not too much but just enough to make it cling to the bird. Add more of the ingredients to the inside of the bird than the outside as it will mix with the crushed pineapple and add flavor. Take your bare hands and rub the bird with all the ingredients inside and out. Then take the appropriate amount of crushed pineapple (2 large cans) to fill the chest cavity and pour in a few ounces of soy sauce to mix with the pineapple. You can also add granulated garlic, black pepper and whatever suits your fancy. Pull the bird together to keep the pineapple inside the cavity to hold the liquid in the bird. After you have mixed all the ingredients take handfuls of the mixed ingredients with the pineapple and shove them under the skin of the breast meat. Use plenty of paprika. Add some along the way. If you do not have kids eating, you could add cayenne pepper. To take it to another level this can be done the day before for a long marinade. I usually do not do the day before method. Take the bird in the boat and place the entire boat in a large roasting pan. Here is the most important thing... .take a doubled up heavy aluminum foil and cover the entire roasting pan and take extreme caution to eliminate any loss of steam, a real tight seal. If you lose steam, you are doing it wrong. Try your best to not have the aluminum foil touching the bird. When you are ready to bake, before you go to bed, put your oven on bake at 175 degrees and go to bed. 6 or 8 hours later pull the bird out and check on how well it is done. At this point you will want to drain a significant amount of liquid. Open the boat carefully so you can re-seal and baste the legs and breast. Test the turkey by trying to pull the drumstick away from the carcass. If it pulls away easily it is done. After it is done or almost done, I open the turkey to the oven to lightly crisp up the skin. This step takes very little time, maybe 20 minutes. The outcome is the juiciest turkey meat you have ever experienced, and the Indians will write songs about you! : ). There are many forks in the road for this process. If you like sweet basil or cilantro use them. Make sure you have a large roasting pan to catch any holes in the boat. Holes in the boat equal failure, but the bird will still be off the hook. There is very little labor after the bird is in the oven and let it ride all night at 175. In the morning you can adjust the temperature to finish either sooner or later. I guarantee the most tender sliced turkey on the planet. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Garth Beaumont